San Francisco Man Sentenced to 151 Months for LSD and Ecstasy Trafficking Offenses

APRIL 26 (SAN FRANCISCO) —Defendant Oshan Cook was sentenced yesterday to 151 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute MDMA (“ecstasy”), possession with the intent to distribute ecstasy, and possession with the intent to distribute LSD, Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Special Agent in Charge Bruce C. Balzano and United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced.

On November 1, 2012, a federal jury found that Cook participated in a conspiracy to distribute ecstasy, and that he possessed with the intent to distribute ecstasy and more than 10 grams of LSD. The jury returned guilty verdicts on one count of distribution of more than 10 grams of LSD in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A)(v), and two counts of ecstasy trafficking in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(C). The guilty verdicts followed a 4-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey S. White.

Evidence at trial showed that Cook, 35, of San Francisco, participated in a conspiracy to distribute 1,383 grams of ecstasy that was delivered to an undercover DEA agent in a buy-bust operation, and that Mr. Cook was arrested on the day of the buy-bust operation, wearing a backpack containing 630 grams of ecstasy and 39.3 grams of liquid LSD.

Cook was charged by a federal grand jury, along with three co-defendants, in a Superseding Indictment on August 26, 2010. He was the last of the four defendants to be sentenced in this case. Defendant Yuri Lambert previously pled guilty to an ecstasy trafficking offense, and defendant James Edmonds pled guilty to an LSD trafficking offense. Both Lambert and Edmonds are currently serving 63 month sentences. Defendant Victoria Vanlaanen also pled guilty to an ecstasy trafficking offense, and is currently serving an 18 month sentence.

After the jury returned its verdict on November 1, 2012, Cook was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals, and he remains in custody to serve his sentence.

The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey S. White. Judge White also sentenced the defendant to a five year period of supervised release.

Chinhayi Cadet and Pete Axelrod are the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Ana Guerra. The prosecution is the result of a 2-year investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration